Every year I feel as though Thanksgiving becomes a little more important. It has always been one of my favorite days that I look forward to as soon as the calendar turns to November.  I love the crisp air and colorful leaves and the smells that come from the kitchen.  We have so many recipes that go back for generations that I honestly can’t wait to taste!  We have great cooks in our family and we love all things southern!  For instance, butter, cheese, pies, more butter, potatoes, cornbread that does NOT have sugar in it, and of course turkey and ham.

My mom would get up before dawn, all of my life and start roasting the turkey.  One of the best aromas on earth is waking up to the amazing smells of Thanksgiving day!

This year I asked my son-in-law if he would smoke a turkey breast in his Big Green Egg.  Zach said he would, and after much stress and research he did an amazing job!  Delicious!

Paige and Zach hosted us this year and it was glorious!  They have a perfect setup for a big crowd and I did not have to get the house ready as well as cook.  We had 6 kids yesterday and they had a blast!  Pierre’ the cat survived and they laughed and played all day!  Cousins are one of the best things about being together.

My nieces, Morgan, Jordan and Brooklyn were able to come again this year!  We are thrilled when they can come and join in on the fun!  We don’t get to see them enough, so we take advantage of the times when they are with us!

As we stood around the tables and held hands in a circle, I had one of those moments that sneak up on you, and missed my mom and grandmother so much!  I knew how proud they would be of their legacy of love and tradition.  I was also so sad that Cal and Tiffany, Dad,  Chuck, Grant and Kara could not be with us.  When Kylie found out that my Dad could not come due to health reasons, she said, “Oh No, he says the best prayers!”  My brother-in-law, Ron, said the prayer in his place and it was simply beautiful!  A few tears welled up in my eyes and I knew that they were all with us in spirit on a special day when all that matters is family and love!

So this year we celebrate that next year Grant and Kara will be married, Allison has a new man in her life, Robbie, and best of all, Griffin Walker, Paige and Zach’s baby will be born!

Thank you God for strong marriages, generations together, delicious food, the love of grandchildren, smiles, hugs and laughter.